Top Five Cheap and Easiest Pets for Kids

All kids profess that they want a pet. Something for children to keep and take care of all by yourself. Most will ask for a cat or a dog. However, they are not all ready to take the responsibility that comes along with having a pet. There are kids too young, too busy, you don’t have the space or live where pets are not permitted or your son or daughter simply lacks the maturity that it takes to be the owner of another life. If this is the case with your little one that would like a pet, consider one of the easier pets. In fact, these are the top five cheap and easiest pets for kids to care for.

Hermit crab

Hermit crabs are extremely easy pets. These are pets that have the life expectancy of 10 years. Therefore, expect to have these for some time if your children can take care of them. You can buy hermit crabs in pet stores.

The small stature of a hermit crab means they don’t take up a lot of space and can be in your child’s bedroom for most if not all of their lives. They can live in small containers. The container doesn’t need to be tall, but a hermit crab needs space to move around so it will be wide enough for the hermit crab to crawl around.

Living space needs to include land; rocks will do, and water. Hermit crabs shed their shell where they live and move to a larger shell. Hermit crabs eat pellet food and feeding is relatively easy. You can clean their container or living space monthly. This is an extremely cheap and easy pet for kids to care for.

Frog

Frogs are a cheap and easy pet for kids if you get the right frog. Stay away from anything fancy or exotic. These are frogs that need special care with their feeding and living habits such as eating live bugs. If you think your kid is up to feeding their frog live bugs, by all means go ahead. Find an easy to care for frog species which are plentiful in most pet stores and other retailers that sell frogs. These are great as one of the cheapest and easiest pets for kids.

Recommended first time pet frogs are African Dwarf Frogs. These are frogs that are small, active, cute and as easy to care for as a goldfish. The store that sells your frog should also sell or carry your frog food. Lots of frogs survive on crickets and other vitamin supplemented food designed for frogs.

Frogs can live a long life in the proper environment. They should be housed in an aquarium tank of about 20 gallons. A 10 gallon tank will do, but a 20 gallon tank is ideal. The bottom of the tank should have gravel and add some rocks and wood to simulate a more natural environment. Frogs like a couple of plastic plants in the tank. Include their food and a water supply into the tank for your frog.

Frogs are also an animal that needs light to stay healthy and product the necessary vitamin D3 their bodies need. Don’t use a bright light. A bright light will damage their sensitive vision. Fluorescent lights work best.

Turtle

Kids love turtles. This is one pet that you don’t need to make sure they don’t run away. Turtles are slow and steady animals. They do move around during waking hours. Make certain if you have a turtle as a pet they have enough room to live in. their living area will need food, water, light, shade and a lot of people will buy a basking lamp so they are in a natural as possible habitat. A turtle needs at least 12 hours of sunlight to properly process the necessary vitamin D3 they need to stay healthy.

A great living area for your turtle is an aquarium tank. You can get all the necessary ingredients that their natural habitat has and they are comfortable and safe. This will also make for easy storage in any room. Turtles are not only one of the most cheap and easiest pets for kids, but they can also be kept in your kid’s bedroom without fuss.

Make your turtle a special shelter to retreat to when they don’t want to be bothered. Lots of turtle owners will use a little wood and a couple of stones. You don’t need to have anything elaborate.

Beta fish

Beta fish can live up to five years. However, many owners will kill this little pet needlessly by sloppy care. Nearly all Beta Fish you buy in the pet store are male. Male beta fish are more colorful and prettier than female beta fish.

Beta fish do better in a tank to alone, but can live with other beta fish if necessary. Betas do better on their own because a male beta fish will fight the female beta fish if she is not in her breeding pattern if they are in the same fish tank.

Beta fish are cheap and easiest pets for kids because they don’t need elaborate tanks that include filters or air pumps. They like their water warm, so keeping a warm house or a tank where their water is warm is great.

Goldfish

Goldfish are some of the hardiest pets a kid can have. Do not keep your goldfish in a goldfish bowl. Actually this is bad for the goldfish as well as a lot more work to care for them. Believe it or not there are countries where this is on the books as cruel and unusual punishment for a fish. Small bowls will stunt their growth and become extremely dirty fast. This means you will clean them four or five times as much as a gold-fish kept in an aquarium with a pump and filter.

Depending on what type of goldfish you buy will decide how large or small they grow to be. Be sure and select the right size tank for your fish. Find out how large your goldfish will finally be. Air pumps are not a necessity for their aquarium. Though, you will need a filter and a regular water change. Many people with aquariums will include a catfish or other bottom feeder fish in the tank that can live in harmony with the goldfish and help with cleaning. Bottom feeder fish will eat the muck and dirt from the tank for you. You will need to change or clean the aquarium, but not as often as you would without their help.

Goldfish are a wonderful pet if you are going for cheap and easiest pets for your kids.